“I am not skilled enough or energetic enough to craft a persona. I just have to be who I am and hope people like it.” -Pete Buttigieg  

Pete Buttigieg is now 4th in the polling with 7% average. He continues to voice his views specifically regarding the U.S.’ bright future. 

“Greatness will come by looking forward – untethered from the politics of the past and anchored by our shared values – and by changing our nation’s future.” -Pete Buttigieg 

“Good policy, like good literature, takes personal lived experience as its starting point. At its best, the practice of politics is about taking steps that support people in daily life—or tearing down obstacles that get in their way.” -Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg is 32 years old, born in South Bend Indiana. He served in the U.S. Navy in Afghanistan before 2017, when he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was elected mayor of South Bend in 2011 and served two terms. 

“I’m definitely the only left-handed Maltese-American-Episcopalian-gay-millennial-war veteran in the race, but I think profile is just what gets you that first look.” -Pete Buttigieg

“Safety and security are the most basic job of government. I understand that – both as a mayor who works every day to secure public safety and reduce crime, and also as someone who deployed in uniform to Afghanistan because I believed joining the military was part of my duty to help keep my country safe.” -Pete Buttigieg 

“The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of American presence, it’s a consequence of a withdrawal and the betrayal by this president of American allies and American values.” -Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg came out as Gay in 2015 and married Chasten Buttigieg in 2018. He was the first openly gay elected executing in the state of Indiana. He is also very religious and says being Christian drives him to do better. 

“You’re not free if you can’t marry the person you love because a county clerk is imposing his or her interpretation of religion on you.” -Pete Buttigieg 

Buttigieg disagrees with President Trump’s idea for a wall, but is not opposed to more border security. He believes that immigrants make the country stronger and supports DACA. 

“I don’t have a problem with enhanced border security, perhaps to include fencing. I think the mistake is believing that border security is as simple as just putting up a wall from sea to shining sea.” -Pete Buttigieg

Buttiegieg has a three step plan to fight climate change, he first wants to make more clean energy jobs, involve the U.S. more in the global fight against climate change, and invest more money to prevent and help with natural disasters.  

“To me, what’s really important about the Green New Deal isn’t, like, one of the elements of it: it’s the concept. It’s the concept that we have a national emergency commensurate with a depression or a war. And then the second part of it, the concept that, in rising to meet that challenge, there’s a ton of economic opportunity.” -Pete Buttigieg

In his campaign he references how democracy is slipping away, so one example of change is he would get rid of the Electoral College.  

“The Electoral College needs to go, because it’s made our society less and less democratic.” -Pete Buttigieg

These are just some brief facts and quotes about/from Pete Buttigieg, so if you are interested in learning more about him read his book “Shortest Way Home.”

By Loa Schriefer